She was branded Britain’s saddest puppy after she was abandoned by heartless owners and kicked out into the cold with a skin condition which left her close to death.Rescue workers came close to giving up all hope for her recovery but Princess has now overcome the odds and has made a miraculous return to health.

Wagging her tail and bouncing through open fields, life is now a far cry from the days when she could only gaze longingly from a window.

Incredible recovery: She is now full of life, playing with Lucky, a ten-week-old Terrier cross

The forlorn puppy made international headlines after she was discovered suffering from a condition which made her skin so delicate that she could not go outside in any weather.

Even a warm jacket would irritate her beyond endurance.

At just six months old, she was pictured sitting in a cardboard box with a horrific case of mange which left her completely hairless.

Her heart-melting face laid bare the appalling levels of neglect and abuse she suffered at the hands of her owners.

Staff who took her in, at Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary, near Edenfield, Lancashire, feared the harsh winter weather would kill her and rescue workers said a course of drugs, costing a five-figure sum, was her only hope of survival.

But donations flooded in and now, only two months on, Princess has made a remarkable recovery.

She now looks the picture of health as she bounds about with other dogs, enjoying rough and tumble play with a shiny new coat.

Heartrending: The six-month-old puppy was found abandoned. She has now been nursed back to health

Healthy and happy: Princess, now eight months old, looks like a different dog. Pictured with carer Sallie Canroy

Sanctuary staff are looking to re-home her with permanent owners.

'She’s the saddest-looking dog we have ever seen,’ said manager Neil Martin.

‘Our staff are all in love with her but it’s only recently that she’s started learning how to enjoy a cuddle.

‘She didn’t even know how to play. We tried to get her to cheer up with some toys but she was scared of them.'

Princess, thought to be a bull terrier-greyhound cross, was found in Colne, Lancashire.

Her debilitating condition was caused by mites which burrowed into her hair follicles.